A Princess Ghost Story    by Libby Cudmore                 Mar 2003

In this witty satire, a slumber party story inspires the girls worst fears--being without a credit card or a cell phone. 

    "Okay, okay, I got one," Diana said, popping open another Diet Pepsi. "A, B, C, D, E…" she recited to herself,
twisting the tab.
    "E!" Beth squealed. "You’re gonna marry Eugene from Bio class!"
    "Eww, no!" Diana squeaked, throwing the metal tab at Beth. "He’s such a dork!"
    "But you loooove him!" Babs made kissy noises and fluttered the enormous false eyelashes that she had stolen from her mother’s bathroom.
    "Jus’ get on with the story," Liza said, stretching out her leoparded legs and her fuzzy pink slippers.
    "Okay, okay, here goes. Babs, hon, turn out the light." Diana insisted.
    Babs hopped up and flicked off the lavender lamp and in the dark, Diana highlighted her face with a flashlight under her chin.
"I have seen Hell," she monotoned.
    "Oh give me a break," Liza muttered before getting Beth’s elbow in her side.
    "I have seen Hell," she repeated. "It exists here on earth. The Devil walks among us…and I have held it by the hand.
"A few weeks back I got on the train to go upstate for the weekend. I thought everything was going to be fun, I mean, Fishkill is pretty far from home, but I was prepared…or so I thought. It all began when I realized my cell phone stopped getting reception."
    "Ohmygod," Beth gasped, one hand covering her mouth and the other instinctively reaching towards her bedside table. There was a quick flash of eerie alien-green LCD and a sigh of relief.
    "It gets worse." Diana assured. "Much worse—so there I was, cut off from the world, a stranger in a strange land. I reached into my purse to put back and then realized just how much worse it was getting. Something was missing…"
    "Oh Diana, don’t say it!" Babs blanched.
    "Yes. Daddy forgot to leave me his Visa."
    "I think we should turn on the lights." Beth’s voice quivered.
    "Oh stop being such a baby," Liza spat.
    "You’re not scared, are you?" Diana’s voice returned to its normal tone.
    "Hardly," she scoffed.
    "Oh, you will be," she intoned. "The train ride dragged on forever, like a Manhattan rush hour…only there was nothing to block our path. Finally, I arrived, and my Aunt and Uncle were waiting on the platform. I thought I was safe, but when I walked into that house and realized how empty it was, how silent, I knew the worst was yet to come. I searched for life and found none…"
    The other girls looked over and saw Liza clutching her pillow, and huddled close to her as Diana continued.
"Dinnertime came and I knew something was up. The dining room got hotter and hotter until I heard my Aunt’s voice call my name…but when I looked up, my Aunt’s flesh and blood had spawned a demon who rasped…"
    "Please don’t say it…" Liza pleaded. "Diana, this is getting too scary…please…no…."
    "Yes!" Diana hissed. She rasped, "Will you come help me with dinner?!"

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